Benchmarking e regulação do setor de distribuição de energia elétrica nacional: proposta para avaliação dos custos operacionais eficientes

In Brazil, the National Agency of Electric Energy (ANEEL) represents the energy regulator. The rates review have been one of its main tasks, which establish a pricing practice at a level to cover the efficient operating costs and also the appropriate return of the distributors investments. The changes in the procedures to redefine the efficient costs and the several studies on the methodologies employed to regulate this segment denote the challenge faced by regulators about the best methodological strategy to be employed. In this context, this research aims to propose a benchmarking evaluation applied to the national regulation system in the establishment of efficient operating costs of electricity distribution utilities. The model is formulated to promote the electricity market development, partnering with government policies ant to society benefit. To conduct this research, an integration of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) is adopted in a three stages procedure to correct the efficiency in terms of environmental effects: (i) evaluation by means of DEA to measure operating costs slacks of the utilities, in which environmental variables are omitted; (ii) The slacks calculated in the first stage are regressed on a set of environmental variables by means of SFA and operating costs are adjusted to account the environmental impact and statistical noise effects; and, (iii) reassess the performance of the electric power distribution utilities by means of DEA. Based on this methodology it is possible to obtain a performance evaluation exclusively expressed in terms of management efficiency, in which the operating environment and statistical noise effects are controlled.

Ventilação e prescrições urbanísticas: uma aplicação simulada para a Orla da Praia do Meio em Natal/RN

This work analyses a study on natural ventilation and its relation to the urban legislation versus the building types in an urban fraction of coastal area of Praia do Meio in the city of Natal/RN, approaching the type or types of land use most appropriate to this limited urban fraction. The objective of this study is to analyse the effects of the present legislation as well as the types of buildings in this area on the natural ventilation. This urban fraction was selected because it is one of the sites from where the wind flows into the city of Natal. This research is based on the hypothesis stating that the reduction on the porosity of the urban soil (decrease in the set back/boundary clearance), and an increase in the form (height of the buildings) rise the level of the ventilation gradient, consequently causing a reduction on the wind speed at the lowest part of the buildings. Three-dimensional computational models were used to produce the modes of occupation allowed in the urban fraction within the area under study. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software was also used to analyse the modes of land occupation. Following simulation, a statistical assessment was carried out for validation of the hypothesis. It was concluded that the reduction in the soil porosity as a consequence of the rates that defined the minimum boundary clearance between the building and the boundary of the plot (and consequently the set back), as well as the increase in the building form (height of the buildings) caused a reduction in the wind speed, thus creating heat islands

Novas propriedades do SKTI (Inibidor de tripsina de soja): inibição para elastase neutrofílica humana e efeitos no processo de injúria pulmonar aguda

Seeds from legumes including the Glycine max are known to be a rich source of protease inhibitors. The soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (SKTI) has been well characterised and has been found to exhibit many biological activities. However its effects on inflammatory diseases have not been studied to date. In this study, SKTI was purified from a commercial soy fraction, enriched with this inhibitor, using anion exchange chromatography Resource Q column. The purified protein was able to inhibit human neutrophil elastase (HNE) and bovine trypsin. . Purified SKTI inhibited HNE with an IC50 value of 8 µg (0.3 nM). At this concentration SKTI showed neither cytotoxic nor haemolytic effects on human blood cell populations. SKTI showed no deleterious effects on organs, blood cells or the hepatic enzymes alanine amine transferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) in mice model of acute systemic toxicity. Human neutrophils incubated with SKTI released less HNE than control neutrophils when stimulated with PAF or fMLP (83.1% and 70% respectively). These results showed that SKTI affected both pathways of elastase release by PAF and fMLP stimuli, suggesting that SKTI is an antagonist of PAF/fMLP receptors. In an in vivo mouse model of acute lung injury, induced by LPS from E. coli, SKTI significantly suppressed the inflammatory effects caused by elastase in a dose dependent manner. Histological sections stained by hematoxylin/eosin confirmed this reduction in inflammation process. These results showed that SKTI could be used as a potential pharmacological agent for the therapy of many inflammatory diseases

Efeitos da microgravidade em plantas de cana-de-açúcar

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a plant from Poaceae family that has an impressive ability to accumulate sucrose in the stalk, making it a significant component of the economy of many countries. About 100 countries produce sugarcane in an area of 22 million hectares worldwide. For this reason, many studies have been done using sugarcane as a plant model in order to improve production. A change in gravity may be one kind of abiotic stress, since it generates rapid responses after stimulation. In this work we decided to investigate the possible morphophysiological, biochemical and molecular changes resulting from microgravity. Here, we present the contributions of an experiment where sugarcane plants were submitted to microgravity flight using a vehicle VSB-30, a sounding rocket developed by Aeronautics and Space Institute teams, in cooperation with the German Space Agency. Sugarcane plants with 10 days older were submitted to a period of six minutes of microgravity using the VSB-30 rocket. The morphophysiological analyses of roots and leaves showed that plants submitted to the flight showed changes in the conduction tissues, irregular pattern of arrangement of vascular bundles and thickening of the cell walls, among other anatomical changes that indicate that the morphology of the plants was substantially influenced by gravitational stimulation, besides the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, an important signaling molecule in stress conditions. We carried out RNA extraction and sequencing using Illumina platform. Plants subjected to microgravity also showed changes in enzyme activity. It was observed an increased in superoxide dismutase activity in leaves and a decreased in its activity in roots as well as for ascorbate peroxidase activity. Thus, it was concluded that the changes in gravity were perceived by plants, and that microgravity environment triggered changes associated with a reactive oxygen specie signaling process. This work has helped the understanding of how the gravity affects the structural organization of the plants, by comparing the anatomy of plants subjected to microgravity and plants grown in 1g gravity

A concretização do princípio da igualdade em matéria tributária por meio de sentenças aditivas

This work aims to study the additive decisions, a type of juridical interpretation developed in foreign legal systems and which are known in Italy as adittive sentences. Thefore, this dissertation is based on theorical studies developed around the subject in Italy and Brazil. Considering the fact that the fundamental rights face a problem of implementation, being decreased its normative force when there are legislative partial omissions lacking constitutional justification creating privileges to certain individuals or social/economical groups over others, the method of additive interpretation according to the Constitution can be used in order to realize the principle of equality. In tax matters the subject is even more relevant in the way that it represents an important role in the economy. Partial legislative omissions can generate inequalities, favoring certain taxpayers in relation to others in similar legal situation. In these cases the privilege may have a negative impact on economic order restricting values related to the basis of market competition. On those occasions, Brazilian Judges and Courts must exercise their constitutional jurisdiction in order to expand the effects of the legislative omissions, based on the principle of equality by extending the standard to equal tax situations in order to maintain neutrality in taxation

Podem os programas sociais e de transferência de renda influenciar a oferta de trabalho em atividades não agrícolas? uma análise para as famílias em condição de pobreza no meio rural do nordeste

This study aims to analyze the main effect of social programs and cash transfers on the labor supply of non-farm family members in poverty in rural areas of the Northeast. Among the specific objectives, we sought to investigate the effects of these programs and individual characteristics on the decision of participation and allocation of working hours of parents and children in non-agricultural activities. It was assumed, as a theoretical basis, the model of neoclassical labor supply as well as the principle that the decision of allocation of working hours, non-agricultural, is subject to the initial choice of the worker devote or not the non-agricultural employment . The hypothesis assumes that access to social programs and income transfer contributes to the dismay of rural workers, in poverty, in its decision to participate and offer hours of work in non-agricultural activities. To achieve this objective, we applied the models of Heckman (1979) and Double Hurdle, of Cragg (1971), consisting of associating the decision to participate in the labor market with the decision on the amount of hours allocated. The database used was the National Survey by Household Sampling (PNAD) of 2006. The results of the heads of households showed that transfers of income, although they may have some effect on labor supply rural nonfarm, the magnitude has to say that there may be some dependence on benefits. The estimates for the joint children of 10 to 15 years showed that the programs have negatively influenced participation in suggesting an increase in school participation, although for the allocation of working hours the results were not significant on the incidence of child labor

Análise dos efeitos de um plano educacional individualizado no desenvolvimento acadêmico e funcional de um aluno com transtorno do espectro do autismo

Given the paradigm of inclusive education, the presence of students with autism spectrum disorder in regular schools has become more significant in recent years. Studies have revealed, however, deficits in academic participation of these students in these settings. Among the factors contributing to this phenomenon include poor teacher training and the lack of strategies to promote curriculum access. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument that would promote academic inclusion of a student with autism through procedures that could simultaneously empower the teacher. In this perspective, the study aimed to analyze the effects of an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), developed collaboratively with teachers, on the academic and functional development of a student with autism in an early childhood education setting. Data were collected in a private school located in the city of Natal in Rio Grande do Norte, in the course of the academic year 2012. In addition to the student with autism, one teacher, a specialized educator, and four teacher aides participated in the study. The research used a single subject quasi-experimental design (AB) as well as qualitative methods of data analysis. The study was conducted in three phases: characterization, baseline and intervention. The first comprised interviews with the child´s parents and teachers, as well as the identification of two routines focus of intervention. In the second phase, the amount of time the student spent engaged in the selected routines during baseline was analyzed. In the third phase, the researcher prepared, collaboratively with the teachers, an individualized educational plan (IEP) for the student. Finally, the IEP was implemented by the teachers. The results indicated qualitative and quantitative changes in student´s participation in academic and functional tasks after the intervention program

Efeitos de sentido das não coincidências do dizer na escrita acadêmica

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

Didática do plurilinguismo: efeitos da intercompreensão de línguas românicas na compreensão de textos escritos em português

This exploratory study aims to present some readings as Doyé (2003), Carrasco Perea (2003), Melo Araújo e Sá (2004), Chavagne (2009) and Alas-Martins (2010; 2011) which helped to confirm some ways for showing that a plurilingual environment can enable a trend in improving the understanding of written texts in the mother tongue, and can collaborate on a better perception of the world around a person with all their different nuances. The study describes the methodology and some results of our doctoral research that resulted in the insertion of the experimental discipline called Intercomprehension of Romanic Languages (ILR) in the curriculum in the city of Natal / RN / Brazil, and it was justified because of high functional illiteracy degree among young people up to 15 years old according to the educational data from IBGE research on 2010. The results were verified through an experimental action-research which was characterized by Lewin (1946); Nunan (1992); Thiollent (1994) and Trip (2005) in two schools: Professoara Terezinha Paulino de Lima (municipal school) and Professora Ana Julia de Carvalho Mousinho (State of Rio Grande do Norte), with 95 students from the final years of primary education. The corpus of this research was subjected to a series of condensed techniques like the nonparametric test from Kruskal and Wallis (1952) and the parametric test ANOVA as an effort to provide statistical significance to the analysis of the results indicated in the book of ILR activities. The research presented some skill views about reading comprehension of written texts according to perspective of Ringbow (1987), Giacobbe (1990), Alarcão (1991; 2009a and 2009b), Corder (1992), Castellotti (2001) and Degache (2003), and the possibilities of transfer these skills for learning Portuguese as pointed out by Meissner, Klein and Stegmann (2004); it indicates a positive trend towards the understanding of LM according to analyzing the scores of written tests and texts by participants in solving tasks

Efeitos da previdência rural na agricultura familiar da microrregião Serra de São Miguel - RN

The objective of the present work is to verify the effects of Rural Social welfare in the family agriculture of the microrregião Serra de São Miguel-RN. The study based on available bibliography on the theme, in secondary data and in a rising amostral accomplished in three municipal districts (Encanto, São Miguel and Riacho de Santana) of the microrregião. The universe of the study was the establishments of the family agriculture appeared in the Agricultural Census of 2006, in those municipal districts. The unit of considered analysis was the rural family, with the interviews being applied close to the farmers' families with and without retired rural. The sample was of 94 present families in the family establishments. The results demonstrate that the Rural Precaution reaches a significant covering degree in the rural area of the researched municipal districts, with an average of 1,57 beneficiaries for home in the families with retired. The data of the research attest that the family agriculture in the microrregião Serra de São Miguel-RN it has few favorable conditions for his/her development, once, besides the shortage of lands and of the climatic factor of the area, the returned public politics the family farmers' totality - like PRONAF and PAA -, it has been unable to give effective answers for the improvement of the life conditions in the rural way, have seen the minimum amount of families reached by those politics, be in function of the drawing or of the atmosphere where they are done. In this context, he/she stands out the importance of the Rural Precaution that, in function of the application of the constitutional devices that you/they guaranteed his/her universalization, it has been the only relevant public politics that, in fact, it has been reaching her/it all their beneficiary potentials. Given the general situation of the family agriculture of the microrregião and of the specific characteristics of the researched family establishments, the hypothesis was corroborated that the rural retirement doesn't contribute directly to the increase / making possible of the family agriculture. In spite of 57,4% of the families with retired have declared to use resources of the retirement in the costing of the rural activity carried out by the family, the annual medium value of the expense just located around 7,02% of the annual value of the retirements gained by the families in the year of 2010. Data the low levels in that the social reproduction of the great majority of the family establishments of the microrregião, the maintenance of the families is operated represents the main destiny of the resources precautions. It was also confirmed the hypothesis that the Rural Precaution constitutes the main monetary contribution of the families with retired. For more than 93% of the families with retired, the retirements doing 50% or more of the total of the family monetary income, and in the composition of the rural income of the families with retired and pensioners, the originating from income the rural retirements are equal to 65,24% of the total of the annual income obtained by the families. It is ended, because, that the rural precaution, given to the adversities for the development of the family agriculture, of the operational inefficacy of the public politics and of the few opportunities of generation of existent income in the local savings, it is the main responsible for the reduction of the poverty and, consequently, for the improvements of the conditions of life of the families of and with seniors in the rural way of the microrregião Serra de São Miguel-RN

Efeitos da adição de carga no treino de marcha na esteira em indivíduos com Doença de Parkinson: ensaio clínico controlado randomizado

Introduction: The intrinsic gait disorders in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) are one of the most disabling motor symptoms. Among the therapeutic approaches used in attempts to improve the motor function, especially the gait pattern of individuals, stands out the treadmill gait training associated with the addition of load. However, there are few findings that elucidate the benefits arising from such practice. Objective: To assess the effects of adding load on the treadmill gait training in individuals with PD. Material and Methods: A controlled, randomized and blinded clinical trial, was performed with a sample of 27 individuals (18 men and 9 women) with PD, randomly assigned to three experimental conditions, namely: treadmill gait training (n=9), treadmill gait training associated with addition of 5% load (n=9) and treadmill gait training associated with addition of 10% load (n=9). All volunteers were assessed, during phase on of Parkinson's medication, regarding to demographic, clinical and anthropometric (identification form) data, level of disability (Hoehn and Yahr Modified Scale), cognitive function (Mini Mental State Examination), clinical functional - in those areas activity of daily living and motor examination (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale - UPDRS) and gait cinematic analysis was performed through Qualisys Motion Capture System®. The intervention protocol consisted of gait training in a period of 4 consecutive weeks, with three weekly sessions, lasting 30 minutes each. The post-intervention assessment occurred the next day after the last training session, which was performed cinematic analysis of gait and the UPDRS. Data analysis was performed using the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences® (SPSS) 17.0. Results: The age of volunteers ranged from 41 to 75 years old (62,26 ± 9,07) and the time of clinical diagnosis of PD between 2 to 9 years (4,56 ± 2,42). There was a reduction regarding the score from motor exam domain (p=0,005), only when training with the addition of a 5% load. As for the space-time variables there was no significant difference between groups (p>0,120); however, the training with addition of 5% load presented the following changes: increase in stride length (p=0,028), in step length (p=0,006), in time balance of the most affected member (p=0,006) and reduction in support time of the referred member (p=0,007). Regarding angular variables significant differences between groups submitted to treadmill gait training without addition load and with 5% of load were observed in angle of the ankle at initial contact (p=0,019), in plantar flexion at toe-off (p=0,003) and in the maximum dorsiflexion in swing (p=0,005). While within groups, there was a reduction in amplitude of motion of the ankle (p=0,048), the only workout on the treadmill. Conclusion: The treadmill gait training with addition of 5% load proved to be a better experimental condition than the others because it provided greater gains in a number of variables (space-time and angular gait) and in the motion function, becoming a therapy capable of effectively improving the progress of individuals with PD

Efeitos agudos de diferentes intensidades de pressão expiratória positiva sobre os volumes pulmonares em pacientes com acidente vascular encefálico

observar os efeitos agudos de diferentes intensidades de Pressão Expiratória Positiva (PEP) sobre a cinemática do complexo toracoabdominal de pacientes acometidos por Acidente Vascular Encefálico (AVE). Métodos: Foram selecionados 21 indivíduos com AVE e 16 indivíduos saudáveis pareados por idade sexo e IMC para grupo controle. Avaliamos função pulmonar, pressões dos músculos respiratórios e os volumes pulmonares por meio da Pletismografia Optoeletrônica durante três diferentes intensidades de PEP 10, 15 e 20 cmH2O. Resultados: o efeito da PEP no volume corrente (VC) do grupo AVE em relação ao grupo controle foi diferente. Enquanto o grupo controle aumentou o VC em relação a respiração tranquila em 343%, 395,2% e 431,8% nas PEP10, PEP15 e PEP20 cmH2O o grupo AVE aumento 186%, 218.8% e 209.5% (p < 0.0001). A PEP também influenciou de forma diferente em relação ao Tempo inspiratório com intensidades diferentes no grupo controle e AVE (p < 0.0001). No ciclo de trabalho foi observado um aumento no grupo controle nas PEP10 (p < 0.001) e PEP15 (p < 0.05) e no grupo AVE foi observada uma redução PEP20 (p < 0.01) quando comparada com a respiração tranquila. Os volumes operacionais do grupo AVE foi observado aumento do volume inspiratório final da parede torácica (Vifpt) e do Volume expiratório final da parede torácica (Vefpt) diferente do grupo controle que gerou aumento do Vifpt acompanhado de diminuição do Vefpt durante as três intensidades de PEP. Conclusão: A hiperinsuflação observada no grupo AVE demonstra que essa terapêutica deve ser utilizada com cautela especialmente nas intensidades maiores que 10 cmH2O para essa população

Efeitos do ultrassom terapêutico sobre parâmetros morfométricos e clínicos e método de extração de metaloproteinases em sujeitos com úlceras venosas

Venous wounds cause physical, psychological and financial problems that impact the quality of life of patients. Treatment alternatives are investigated in order to reduce healthcare costs and improve quality of life of people affected by this problem. Physical resources, such as therapeutic ultrasound (US), are being considered in the treatment of ulcers as a potential healing agent. This study aimed to investigate the application of US as a treatment for venous ulcers. Subjects were divided into two groups: US group, where treatment consisted of 5 sessions of pulsed US (3 MHz, 1W/cm²) associated with compression and kinesiotherapy; and sham group, where individuals went through the same procedures, but with sham US therapy. Subjects were evaluated for wound size by planimetry and digital photography, visual analogue scale for pain, quality of life by the questionnaires SF- 36 and VEINES-QoL/Sym and enzymatic activity of metalloproteinases 2 and 9 by zymography. It was observed mean reduction in wound area of 41.58±53.8% for the US group and 63.47±37.2% for the placebo group, maintenance of quality of life scores in the US group and significant improvement (p<0.05) in the placebo group by VEINES questionnaire. It was observed decreased perception of pain in the placebo group. Sample feasibility for analysis of the protein activity of metalloproteinases 2 and 9 by zymography collected by swab method was also confirmed. Our data did not give us evidence to support the theory that the US accelerates healing of venous ulcers in a short-term analysis. However, we observed that standard care associated with compression therapy and kinesiotherapy were able to significantly shorten the progression of chronic venous ulcers

Efeitos da prática mental na marcha de indivíduos com doença de parkinson: ensaio clínico randomizado

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

A cafeína exerce efeitos positivos sobre a memória tipo episódica em ratos adultos sem influenciar a sobrevivência neural no giro dentado

The caffeine is a mild psychostimulant that has positive cognitive effects at low doses, while promotes detrimental effects on these processes at higher doses. The episodic-like memory can be evaluated in rodents through hippocampus-dependent tasks. The dentate gyrus is a hippocampal subregion in which neurogenesis occurs in adults, and it is believed that this process is related to the function of patterns separation, such as the identification of spatial and temporal patterns when discriminating events. Furthermore, neurogenesis is influenced spatial and contextual learning tasks. Our goal was to evaluate the performance of male Wistar rats in episodic-like tasks after acute or chronic caffeine treatment (15mg/kg or 30mg/kg). Moreover, we assessed the chronic effect of the caffeine treatment, as well as the influence of the hippocampus-dependent learning tasks, on the survival of new-born neurons at the beginning of treatment. For this purpose, we used BrdU to label the new cells generated in the dentate gyrus. Regarding the acute treatment, we found that the saline group presented a tendency to have better spatial and temporal discrimination than caffeine groups. The chronic caffeine group 15 mg/kg (low dose) showed the best discrimination of the temporal aspect of episodic-like memory, whereas the chronic caffeine group 30mg/kg (high dose) was able to discriminate temporal order, only in a condition of greater difficulty. Assessment of neurogenesis using immunohistochemistry for evaluating survival of new-born neurons generated in the dentate gyrus revealed no difference among groups of chronic treatment. Thus, the positive mnemonic effects of the chronic caffeine treatment were not related to neuronal survival. However, another plastic mechanism could explain the positive mnemonic effect, given that there was no improvement in the acute caffeine groups